


you'll see them all with me

by unneuf



Category: Miss Saigon - Schönberg/Boublil/Maltby
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Happy Ending, They need it, This musical messed me up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 03:06:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15330378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unneuf/pseuds/unneuf
Summary: "chris will come to me like a phoenix/and he'll take me off on his wings"he knows he'll always wait for her.





	you'll see them all with me

_"Good Jesus, John, who is she?"_

She can read the foreign words on his lips, but she can't hear him over the hubbub of the club. She ought to be proud, really, that her appearance can garner such a response from a strange boy - and he truly is a boy, all lean, gangly arms and legs and the stubbly beginnings of a beard developing on his fair, young face. He must be eighteen, nineteen at most. 

Kim glances at this boy and decides right there and then, that if she could choose someone to go home with tonight, if it was up to her and not the enticing printed notes that the Engineer can't keep his eyes off of, she would choose this boy, gentle-looking and awkward. But she knows it's not up to her. She would end up with one of these other boys, the rough ones who leave bruises and bites and pain. She could see it in the eyes of the others - Mimi, Fifi, Yvette, Yvonne - and the carefully masked fear as the door swung open to the masses of American GIs. They did not enjoy this life, for all their moans and gasps in the stuffy, overheated room.

Her family would die of shame if they saw her now. Her dear late mother and father - rolling in the meagre graves she had managed to save up for. Their poor faces, burnt in the rubble of their rice fields. If only they had taken the advice of Aunt Linh and left while they could. She would even put up with the lecherous attentions of Cousin Thuy, her betrothed, if it meant her family would live to see another day.

The club is loud, so loud, and she hears the Engineer calling out the names of the other girls, and her name is called and the spotlight is on her and it's all she can do to keep her breath in check. Her eyes seek the gaze of her GI, the one who seemed so fascinated with her trembling lips and anxious eyes, and she finds him looking upset and she realises that he doesn't agree with this, that his ticket was not handed in and he's twisting the fragile paper in between his lean, clumsy fingers. He doesn't want to take part in this joke of a competition, he doesn't want the so-called 'Miss Saigon' to warm his bed tonight.

The spotlight flashes past her with barely a whistle thrown her way and she heaves a sigh of relief because she is safe for now, from both the rough, passionless Americans, and - as Gigi, the rude, sultry one who told her to _'give her virgin act a rest'_ , receives a loud cheer and so claims the fake plastic crown and threadbare sash - the outraged abuse flung by her new 'sisters'. They scowl and hurl insults at the whore who just laughs it off and picks her number _("Number 66!", Gigi crows with a fixed grin on her face)_ only to throw herself into the arms of her lover for the night, a proud soldier who laughs and pulls her flush against him. Kim shudders. Will it be like that for her?

The Engineer shoves a tray of drinks into her hands and points to  _him,_ her soldier, and she trembles as she walks towards him and sets his Coca-Cola in front of him. He bites his lip and offers her a small smile and she wants to linger, wants to ask him to take her away from here. She nearly does, until she is cut off by a loud shout.

"Not now! Damn!" The man who won Gigi steps back angrily. The older woman - barely a woman, Kim should say - follows, trailing manicured hands down the man's broad chest.

"I'd make a good wife!" Gigi pleads (Kim didn't think Gigi had it in her to  _plead)_ only to be shoved back.

"No, dammit!"

Gigi takes a moment, lips quivering, before lunging forward and letting her hand slam into his cheek with a loud  _crack._

"You  _prick!"_ She wails, and rips her sash and crown off, tossing them to a furious-looking Engineer. "This is  _bullshit!"_

The Engineer responds with a backhand that sends Gigi sprawling across the floor, holding her face.

The atmosphere is tense and the Engineer looks around, seeing a sea of shocked faces and a hushed murmur above the din of sex and sin.

"Hey, it's all right, man, it's...it's Gigi, likes it rough, man!" The Engineer bluffs, his stammer betraying him. The soldiers take it, though, and soon they resume to their former positions, girls in their arms who are still clearly shell-shocked by seeing strong, opinionated Gigi crumpled on the floor.

The two girls lock eyes across the sea of people, and Kim sees her future in Gigi's eyes.


End file.
